Tribune staff editorial

That supporters of a second school referendum have gathered more than 2,000 signatures on a petition is impressive; after all, less than 2,800 people cast &uot;yes&uot; votes in November, when the referendum failed by a 60-40 margin.

Thursday, March 07, 2002

That supporters of a second school referendum have gathered more than 2,000 signatures on a petition is impressive; after all, less than 2,800 people cast &uot;yes&uot; votes in November, when the referendum failed by a 60-40 margin.

The petition, presented to the school board Monday, is compelling evidence that the community is serious about a second chance, and although another referendum campaign is not something the school likely relishes, it’s time for the school board to start seriously considering another vote.

If a second referendum were on the ballot, the circumstances would be different in at least three important ways:

– First, rather than being seen as forcing a levy down the district’s throat – and that’s exactly how many &uot;no&uot; voters saw it the last time around – the school will only be responding to what appears to be a strong community desire for another referendum.

– It appears the community activists who have worked to collect the signatures are prepared to mount a more serious and more powerful citizen campaign in support of a new referendum. Instead of school administrators looking like the ones who want an excess levy, a group of concerned residents could be the ones at the forefront of the debate. That was not the case last year. Such an approach has a better chance of resonating with voters.

– Finally, anybody who pays even the least bit of attention must have seen by now how the failed referendum is affecting the district. From the end of the drivers’ education program, to cuts in busing that will force most district students to find their own rides, to teacher layoffs that will inflate class sizes, everything has been laid out for all to see. People truly know what they’ll be voting on if there is another referendum.